The Indian Gadgets Awards celebrates the biggest tech products of the years, and this year we gave laurels to over 30 product segments, comprising more than 200 nominees. As the biggest tech awards in the country, IGA 2021 brings over 40 experts to evaluate the nominees and choose the winners, making this a true voice of the industry. Among the many notable categories are the Best Mainstream and Premium Laptop CPUs of 2021 — after all, our laptops have been the backbone of our day-to-day activities, so it’s only wise to award the processors powering them. So, here are the best laptop CPUs that made waves in the mainstream and premium segment this year.
Best Laptop CPU of 2021 — Mainstream
The mainstream laptop CPU category of the Indian Gadget Awards 2021 primarily looks at offerings from the two heavyweights, namely Intel and AMD. Both the chip manufacturers routinely go head-to-head to define the dynamics of the personal computing segment, giving users a slurry of competitive products to choose from. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the winners.
Winner: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
Runner-up: Intel Core i5-11300H
And the full list of nominees includes…
Intel Core i3-1115G4
The first mainstream Laptop CPU contender of 2021 is the Intel Core i3-1115G4, which is an 11th Gen processor from Intel. This chip is built on a 10nm architecture and comes equipped with two physical cores. Unsurprisingly, the processor targets ultra-thin and light laptops with a strong focus on power efficiency – the sort to get users through a day’s work that involves browsing, streaming, and even video calls. The processor can turbo up to 4.1GHz and sees major gain on the 10th Intel counterparts. Intel has added the integrated Xe graphics to boost the multimedia needs of the machine without going overboard. Intel Core i3-1115G4 has strong competition but its value-for-money factor has made it a reliable choice for buyers.
Intel Core i5-11300H
Next, we have the Intel Core i5-11300H, which is a quad-core 11th Gen Intel processor that is designed to power mid-range gaming laptops in the market. The additional cores don’t just pave the way for smooth day-to-day usage, but they also chip in with their extra power to help users tackle CPU-intensive tasks such as video editing, photo editing, and other applications. What’s more, the CPU can turbo all the way up to 4.4GHz, ensuring single-threaded applications run without any hassles. Rest assured, the latest Tiger Lake Intel Core i5 processor makes a strong case for becoming the top-choice mainstream laptop CPU of 2021.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
AMD puts its name into the ring with the Ryzen 5 5500U processor, which was developed for mid-range, slim laptops launching in 2021. Unlike yesteryears, AMD’s Ryzen platform has quite a few backers and the Ryzen 5 5500U managed to surpass most people’s expectations too. To that note, the processor is perfectly capable of handling strenuous workloads, thanks to its Hexa or six-core architecture that can turbo up to 4GHz. The CPU’s long-term reliability and excellent value factor have made it a de-facto choice for laptop buyers in the market this year. Rest assured, our jury members will have a tough time choosing between team red and blue this year.
Best Laptop CPU of 2021 — Premium
Premium laptops have evolved over the years and nowadays, a high-end machine can scale never-seen-before heights of performance. Apple chipped itself into the ring with the M1 series Silicone last year, and in 2021, we got the new M1 Pro and M1 Max versions that too raw compute to a whole new level. That said, Intel and AMD were not too far behind with the latest Core I series and AMD Ryzen processors that powered beefy gaming laptops. But, enough jibber-jabber, here are the best premium laptop CPU nominees for 2021.
Winner: Apple M1 Max
Runner-up: Intel Core i9-11900H
For the full list of nominees in this category, take a look below:
Intel Core i9-11900H
In the higher end of the laptop CPU bracket, Intel sits at the top of the pile with the Core i9-11900H processor. Intel is hoping to entice top video professionals and hardcore gamers with the extra computing boost offered by the eight-core Tiger Lake-based Core i9 CPU. What’s more, while the CPU’s core count is all good and dandy, tinkerers would appreciate the processor’s maximum clock speed of 4.9GHz too. Unsurprisingly, the processor’s pricing, or more specifically, the pricing of laptops powered by it, isn’t for the faint of heart. But, then again, it’s hard to put a price on excellent performance, top-end stability, and reliability for the machine, especially in the PC world.
Intel Core i7-11800H
The 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H gets a much-needed boost, offering up to 30 percent faster performance than its predecessor. The Tiger Lake series benefits from Intel’s smart engineering and the chipset delivers exceptional performance along with optimal efficiency. What’s more, with a turbo clock of up to 4.60 GHz, the i7-11800H can crunch through most demanding workloads with its limitless computing power. Suffice it to say, the Intel Core i7-11800H is a worthwhile contender for this year’s best premium laptop CPU award.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
AMD has positioned the Ryzen 9 5900HX as a powerful desktop counterpart for premium gaming laptops. As part of the ‘HX’ series, users can overclock the 5900HX processor up to 4.6 GHz, ensuring the CPU is fit for any and every task. What’s more, AMD has used a 7nm node to develop the chipset, thereby ensuring utmost reliability and solid efficiency which is unmatched in the segment. The processor is also leagues ahead of its predecessor and consequently, makes for a good upgrade for anyone looking to get themselves a brand-new, ”big boy” computer. The R9 5900HX packs 8 cores along with a Radeon graphics unit, and the CPU is suited for heavy multitasking and hardcore gaming. It has been adjudged as one of the fastest laptop CPUs in the market this year, and such credentials make it a worthy choice for our awards category in 2021.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
Another contender from AMD that deserves a spot in the category is the Ryzen 9 5900HS, which too delivers top-end performance. Compared to most CPUs in its segment, the 5900HS offers a base frequency of 3GHz, making it competent enough to handle multitasking, CPU-intensive applications as well as client-based business systems. But, the biggest advantage offered by the 5900HS is that you can max out the RAM up to 64GB, which coupled with the unit’s Radeon RX Vega 8 GPU, makes the CPU a treat for hefty computing or even casual gaming. All in all, Ryzen 9 series has spoilt users for choices, and the 5900HS is very much part of the clan.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
High-end machines are a ‘hot property’ in every sense. Thankfully, AMD’s Ryzen 7 platform is a knight in shining armour for users looking to buy powerful machines that don’t double up as a heater. Case in point, the Ryzen 7 5800H, which has been designed to smartly manage thermal output without taking a huge toll on the unit’s performance. AMD Ryzen 7 series also offers a powerful integrated GPU, ensuring users can make the most out of their laptops without utilising their laptop’s power-hungry, dedicated graphics card.
Apple M1 Max
The last contender and one of our top picks for 2021 is the new Apple M1 Max chipset. Apple debuted its M1 series on the MacBook Air last year. And in 2021, the stakes have gone up to a whole new level with the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. The manufacturer has raised the bar for the number of cores in its architecture, bringing a new set of innovations to the table. Apple is eyeing digital creators with the M1 Max and quite frankly, the SoC has all the attributes to become their favourite. Most importantly, thanks to Apple’s engineering marvels, the M1 Max isn’t just powerful, but it is also the most efficient chipset on the list.
